« Australia Day celebrates Aussie citizenship »

Australia Day 2012 will see thousands of new citizens affirmed, and many more new citizens welcomed to the country, in over 125 local councils across the country.

This Thursday, 26 January, will see Australia Day celebrations the world over, and in Australia this year this will include local communities taking the pledge and welcoming new fellow citizens.

Affirmation ceremonies were introduced in 1999 to give citizens the chance to demonstrate their pride in being Australian by taking an affirmation pledge based on the citizenship pledge taken by all new citizens.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have said that these affirmation ceremonies are getting more popular and that Australia Day is in fact the most popular day of the year for people to make their affirmation.

A DIAC spokesperson said that, 'The popularity of affirmation ceremonies continues to grow with more and more existing Australian citizens affirming their commitment to Australia at stand-alone events as well as at citizenship ceremonies'.

'We have seen a growing trend of councils, aged care facilities, community organisations and schools conducting affirmation ceremonies on special occasions such as Australia Day.'

New citizens

Australia Day isn't just about Australians making their affirmation of citizenship. This year will also see 13,700 people take the pledge of citizenship and become Australian citizens.

The DIAC spokesman said that, 'Through citizenship and affirmation ceremonies, we reflect on the freedoms, responsibilities and privileges that go hand-in-hand with being an Australian'.